Hewitt sees off Federer in Brisbane as Williams skips Hobart International

Lleyton Hewitt will go into the Australian Open as the player the top seeds will hope to avoid in the first round, after digging into his famed store of resolve to beat Roger Federer in the Brisbane International final yesterday.

Hewitt dominated Federer in the first set and then survived seven break points in the third to capture a morale-boosting 6-1 4-6 6-3 victory ahead of the first Major.

“If I play like I did this week I have a chance of doing damage to some serious players,” the 32-year-old Hewitt said.

“It just gives me a lot more confidence going out there believing in how well I’m hitting the ball at the moment and that I can match-up with the best guys.

“Obviously it’s a different stage, winning three (sets) out of five against those guys (but) that’s why I still play the game.”

The 2005 Australian Open finalist will move back into the world top 50 on the back of his success and could enter the Australian Open as his country's number one player.

Williams opts out
With next week's Australian Open in mind, a weary Venus Williams has opted to skip the Hobart International while her American compatriot Sloane Stephens has pulled out of the Sydney International with a minor wrist injury.

Following her 6-2 5-7 6-4 defeat to fellow former world number one Ana Ivanovic in the Auckland Classic final on Saturday, Williams withdrew from the Hobart event to recover ahead of the first grand slam of the season beginning next week.

“After a long week during my first tournament of the year, my body needs time to rest and recover,” the 33-year-old Williams said.

Stephens, the world number 12, also saw her preparations for the Australian Open compromised.

“I was having some pain in my wrist and the doctor recommended I not play this week,” the 20-year-old American, a semi-finalist at Melbourne Park a year ago, said.